Mail-desk.



, No. 866,218. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. o. T. PRISER.

MAIL DESK.

APPLICA-TIGR' FILED DEG. 15. 1906.`

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ORION T. PRISER, OF BROOIVIIJLE, OHIO.

MAIL-DESK.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application tiled December 15,1906. Serial No. 348,084.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ORION T. Pnrsnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Desks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to mail distributing apparatus and refersespecially to mailing tables or desks adapted for theuse of rural freedelivery carriers, although its application is not limited to this classof mail distribution.

The chief objects of my invention are to provide a roster for the namesof the patrons on a rural delivery route or a division of the same whichwill be applicable to the distributing table; to provide means forquickly substituting one list of names for another having a differentset of names; to so design the apparatus that it can be used inconjunction with the compartments of mailing tables already in use tofurnish means for limiting the mechanical movement of the rosterchanging device to correspond w1' th the number of sections into whichthe roster is divided; and to provide means for quickly changingindividual names or removing any desired number of them from the roster.

I accomplish the above and other minor results by the apparatusillustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of thisspeciiication and in which r- Figure l 'is a front elevation of a maildistributing desk showing the apparatus attached thereto', Fig. 2 is anend view of the same with the protectivecover removed; Figs. 3 and 4 arefragmentary views showing modifications in the operating mechanism; Fig.5 is a cross section of one of the rollers showing its gear attachedthereto, and Fig. 5LL is a cross section of a roller showing theprotective plates for the labels Referring to the drawing G indicatesthe casing of a mailing desk, provided with compartments GfL in which4the mailA is placed, supported upon a table 7. Secured to the ends ofthe casing are brackets 8 which support vertical plates 9, 9a. A seriesof horizontal rollers l() arranged in parallel series above eachhorizontal row of compartments are journaled at each end in the plates9, 9a. At one end of each roller the journal l0 projects through saidplate 9, and has mounted thereon a pinion 12. These pinions are adaptedto mesh with a vertical rack 13 which is supported by the brackets 8,which are bent upon themselves near their free ends to form guides forthe rack. The latter is operated by reciprocating it vertically by theaid of a gear 14 fixed on a shaft which turns in a bearing in thevertical plate 9. The end of the shaft is bent to form a crank 15.Affixed to the shaft is a circular dial plate 16 provided with numeralsarranged at regular intervals on the face of said plate. Secured to theplate 16 is a detent wheel, having radiating arms 17 equally spacedabout the axis corresponding in number withv the grooves in eachrollerhereinafter described, and furnished at the ends with notches 1S Withwhich a detent 19 alternately engages as the shaft and wheel revolve.The detent 19 is secured to the casing 6 and is sufficiently flexible toallow the shaft to turn when the hand is applied to the crank, but willexert sufficient pressure to prevent accidental turning.

Each roller is furnished with four longitudinal grooves 20 as shown mostclearly in the cross sectional vieur in Fig. 5. Within these grooves areplaced tickets or labels 21 upon which are printed or otherwiseimpressed. the names of the patrons. Each name corresponds with one ofthe compartments 6 and the labels are kept .in their grooves by collars22 which may be slipped along the roller when it is desired to changeVthe names and when the label is replaced the collar is slipped backinto place where it is held by frictional contact being split for thatpurpose. Except at the ends of the rollers the collars are placed overthe junction of two labels. Coverings 23, 23 are provided at each end ofthe apparatus to protect the movable parts.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modification of the operating device, thegear 14 and its attachments being replaced by the applianceillustrated'. To the front edge of the protective casing 23 is attacheda plate 24 in whichis a slot 25 which registers with a similar slot inthe casing 23 and has four notches 25IL spaced equal distances apart. Aknob 26 provided with projecting lugs adapted to engage the notches 25,is secured'to the rack 13 by a bolt 27 which passes through the knob andis iiXed in the rack. The knob is recessed to receive a spiral spring 28which engages the head of the bolt 27 and pressing against the bottom ofthe recess tends to hold the knob against the plate 24, the lugs 261lpreventing displacement.

It may be desirable in some cases, as for instance in mail cars wherethe labels would be more liable to injury from the water used in washingthe cars, to protect them by a covering of some water-proof transparentmaterial such as glass or Celluloid. This will also keep the labels freefrom dirt'and dust. Such an arrangement is seen in Fig. 5L which is across section, enlarged, o f a roller in which the labels 2l are coveredwith protective plates 30.

A stop 29 adjustably secured to the plate 24 and casing 23 by a setscrew 30a, limits the downward movement of the knob and bolt 27 and asthe latter is ixed in the rack the movement of the latter is controlledby thisgneaus. If the knob is moved from top to bottom of the slot 25 itwill move the rack 13 sufficiently to turn all the rollers onerevolution. Ii there are only enoughnames to require three sides of therollers to be used then the stop 29 is moved up to the first graduationfrom the bottom, in which case the knob can be moved only far enough toshow in succession three sets of labels contained in the three groovesrequired to be used.

The method of using the apparatus is as follows: The apparatus being inposition as shown in Fig. 1 the carrier will proceed to distribute themail for that division by placing the pieces in the compartmentscorresponding with the names. When this division is distributed he turnsthe crank 15 until the detent 19 engages the next notch 18 in the wheel17, thus bringing a new list of names into view, when he distributes themail for that division as before. He proceeds in like manner with eachdivision until all the inail is distributed.

While the rollers have been shown with 4 grooves in each to hold labels,it is evident that this number may be varied as found desirable.

It is evident that other changes may be made in the devices o myinvention as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit andscope thereof and l do not Wish, therefore, to be limited to the preciseconstruction set forth.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new is 1. A devicefor the purpose speciiied includingl a series of parallel rollers havinglabels attached thereto, means for rotating said rollers, means forretaining the rollers in the position to which they are rotated, andmeans for indicating the positions of the labels.

2. A device for the purpose specilied, including`- a series of revolublerollers, means for simultaneously rotating the said rollers, means forretaining the rollers in certain predetermined positions, means forindicating said positions, and means for attaching the appliance to amailingy table.

3. A roster for a mailing table, including a series of grooved rollers,labels contained in the grooves. means for rotating the rollers, meansfor retaining the rollers in certain predetermined positions, means forindicating said positions, a protective cover for the mechanism andmeans for attachingl the appliance to a mailing table.

4. The combination with a mailing table containing a plurality of mailboxes or compartments, of a plurality ot' revolnble rollers, a pluralityof labels attached to each of said rollers, means for rotating therollers simultane ously, means for locking the rollers in certainpredetermined positions, means for indicating said positions, aprotective cover for the mechanism and means for attaching the applianceto a table.

The combination with a mailing table provided with a plurality ofmailing boxes, a plurality of grooved rollers located adjacent to saidcompartments, and provided with labels, of retainingrings for saidlabels arranged to slide upon said rollers, pinions mounted upon theends o1' said rollers, a rack adapted to gear with said pinions, andmeans for operating said rack.

(i. The combination with a mailing' table provided with a plurality ofmailing compartments, a plurality of grooved rollers located adjacent tosaid compartments and provided with removable labels, of retaining ringsfor the labels arranged to slide upon said rollers, transparentprotective coverings for the labels, pinions mounted upon the rollers, arack adapted to gear with said pinions, means for operating said rack,and a yielding detent for said operative means. 4

7. The combination with a mailing table provided with a plurality oimail compartments, a plurality of grooved rollers located adjacent tosaid compartments and provided with series of removable labels, ofslidable retaining rings for the labels, transparent protectivecoverings for the labels, pinions mounted upon the rollers, a rackadapted to gear with said pinions, means for operating said rack, means'for indicating the position of the several series or labels, and meansfor locking the rack 0perating means.

S. The combination with a mailing table provided with a plurality ofcontainers for the mail, a series of grooved rollers located adjacent tosaid containers, each of said rollers provided with a plurality ofseries of labels having transparent protective coverings, pinionsmounted upon the rollers, a rack adapted to gear with said pinions,means i'or operating said rack, an indicating disk for designating theposition ot the series of labels, means for retaining the operativemechanism in position, and means for attaching the device to said table.

i). '.lhe combination with a mailing table having a plurality ot' mailboxes, a series of grooved rollers located adjacent to said mail boxesand provided with a plurality of removable labels for each of saidrollers, of pinions mounted upon the rollers, a rack adapted to gearwith said pinions, an operating handle attached to said rack, anindicator l'or designating the position of a series of labels, means forlocking the rack in position, and means for attaching the device to saidtable.

l0. ".lhe combination with a mailing table having a plurality of mailcompartments, of a frame, a series of parallel grooved rollers carriedon said frame adjacent to said compartments, a plurality of series oflabels removably attached to said rollers and provided with removable,transparent protective coverings, pinions mounted upon the rollers, arack adapted to operate said pinions, a gear provided with an operatinghandle engaging said rack, an indicating disk attached to said handle, ayielding detent for said handle, and a protective covering for themechanism. y

l1. A roster for a mailing table including a casing, a plurality oflabel holding rollers, means for removably securing labels therein,transparent protective plates for said labels, means for rotating saidlabel holders, means for retaining said holders in position whenrotated, and means for indicating the various positions of said holders.

12. A device for the purpose indicated, including a plurality ofcasings, a plurality of rollers having longitndi nal grooves, aplurality of labels contained in said grooves, means for removablyretaining said labels in the grooves, transparent protective plates forsaid labels, means for rotating said roller simultaneously, means forretaining the rollers in the position to which they are rotated, andmeans for indicating said position.

In testimony whereof l ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ORION T. PRISER.

Witnesses .Tatras M. CUSICK, .TonN O. BEns'r.

